Anti-immigrant rhetoric

When former President Donald Trump launched his campaign for the 2016 elections, one of the most important premises of his political identity was strongly related to the ideal of reducing immigration levels in the US, arguing that the presence of foreigners was something negative for the American population in general, especially for local workers.

Former President Trump always used the anti-immigrant narrative to boost his political campaign and reach the White House with the firm intention of “protecting the US” from the massive influx of immigrants. In the previous administration’s view, most foreigners were “bad people” who usually have negative habits and are basically a threat to American citizens. Naturally, these conjectures led to a gigantic social divide and undoubtedly increased racial discrimination and the gap between the local population and immigrant communities.

Nevertheless, as convincing as this rhetoric may sound, it is a fact that certain opinions regarding immigration were rarely verifiable or did not come from reliable sources. In fact, the reality is practically the opposite since a vast amount of studies and investigations reveal that the presence of immigrants is absolutely essential to the US’ economy, does not increase the crime rate and does not take opportunities away from local workers.

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What is the real role of immigration on the economy?

The most recent National Census, which is conducted every 10 years, revealed that population growth in the US slowed considerably between 2010 and 2020. In fact, it was the lowest figure in 8 decades (7.4%).

At this point in history, having stable population growth is a priority for the country, especially since by the end of this decade, one in five Americans will be of retirement age and, who is the breadwinner of the retirement-age population? The working-age population.

Therefore, with low population growth, within a few years there will no longer be enough workers available to replace retired citizens or to keep the economy afloat. What is the most viable and effective alternative? Without a doubt, immigration.

According to research conducted in 2019, 42% of the net population growth in the US between 2009 and 2019 comes from immigrants. Adding to that, in the same period, there was a 54% growth in the local workforce, also thanks to immigrants. Conversely, the native American population growth slowed considerably.

In light of these irrefutable facts, reducing immigration levels would be a gigantic setback for the US, especially now that the country is trying to recover from the national economic crisis brought on by the global Coronavirus pandemic.

In fact, according to a recent Hiplatina report, anti-immigrant narratives are only worsening the current situation and delaying the country’s ability to overcome the current juncture, or at least to go through it smoothly. The report concludes that “A fear of immigrants will only continue to hurt the U.S. in almost every important economic way. If we want to see our country thrive, we need to embrace smart and broad immigration policies”.

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If you, a family member, or a friend need help with an immigration case, please contact Motion Law today to schedule a FREE Consultation with one of our expert immigration attorneys. Our team will be happy to guide you through your immigration journey in the US.

Please contact Motion Law Immigration today at: (202) 918-1799.